Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry: Recipe of the Week

We have recently been enjoying cooking from :Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley so we are going to offer up another recipe from that book this week. This is the perfect recipe for this TreeHugger. Start cooking at 11:30 am while listening to our favourite half hour long radio show and sit down at noon to a delicious hot lunch. This recipe fits all the required criteria for a terrific meal – it is fast, easy, tastes good and is even better the next day. For a quick dinner, just add a green vegetable or a salad. Berley suggests serving it over rice or with lavash rather than pita if you prefer. We thought it would also be terrific diluted with vegetable broth or water and made into a curried lentil soup on the second day.

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a saucepan or kettle, bring 3 ½ cups of water to a boil.2. In a large saucepan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, and 3 to 4 minutes.3. Add the sweet potato, ginger, garlic, curry powder and bay leaf and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the boiling water and stir in the lentils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the lentils break down and the sweet potatoes are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Season with salt.4. While the potatoes and lentils are cooking, wrap a stack of pita breads in a slightly damp cotton towel, and place in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.